


Secrets Are Hard To Keep (The Family)

by SPARROWPJOHOO



Series: Miraculous Ladybug, Identity reveal, one-shots. [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alya Césaire Is The Best, Awkward Nino Lahiffe, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Plagg Cares, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sick Character, Supportive Tikki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 17:45:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16224140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPARROWPJOHOO/pseuds/SPARROWPJOHOO
Summary: ""Pound-" he starts, but than sees Ladybug stumbling in her place again. "-it?" The heroin looks him straight is the eye, and then falls to the ground."---Marinette was tired. So tired she was ready to collapse. And this brought a lot of problems.





	Secrets Are Hard To Keep (The Family)

**Author's Note:**

> So with 'The family' I mean Marinette's parents, Alya, Nino and Adrien because that's just one big family.

 

Sabina and Tom knew there was something wrong with there daughter. It wasn't normal for a thirteen year old girl to be this tired all the time. The first time they had asked, Marinette had said it was school, and they had even believed it. They knew how exhausting it could be, except it didn't stop there. They had been called by said school, saying that Marinette had been absent a few times without them knowing. They started to worry and decided to talk to their daughter. 

 

"Marinette?" Sabine said looking through the trap door. She saw her daughter at her desk, sleeping on her physics homework. Sabine woke her up.

"Mom." Marinette said tiredly. "What's wrong?" 

"We wanted to talk to you, sweetie." She whispered. Her heart clenched at how tired Marinette looked.

 _It was never good when your parents said that..._ "Okay, sure." 

They went downstairs and sat on the couch. Her parents were standing in front of her. 

"Marinette, the school called." Tom said, unsure where to begin.

Marinette's stomach dropped. _This was definitely not good..._

"They told us about your absences. About how you are always sleeping in class." Tom paused for a second. "Marinette, what is going on? We want to help you, but you have to tell us what is happening." He stopped, because he saw his daughters tears. 

"I want to tell you," she said. "But I can't. Not just yet. Please, don't force me."  the tears were falling over her cheeks. 

Her parents were taken back by her reactions.

"Okay... Okay, don't worry." Sabine whispered and hugged her daughter. "Just know that you can always talk to us, about anything." Tom joined her and the three of them hugged until Marinette stopped crying.

 

Marinette didn't talk about it. She really did want to tell someone, her parents, Alya, anyone! But she couldn't. The teenager knew that being ladybug took a lot of her energy, especially these last couple of weeks, even Tikki became worried. 

"Marinette, you don't look so good. Maybe you should stay home today." Tikki said. The girl was burning up with everything she was doing. Being ladybug, all her school work, designing. It was too much.

"I can't, Tikki. I already missed physics yesterday and I can't even finish my homework because I don't understand it. I have to go, or I'll fail my test next week. " she murmured. That's how it been going these last few weeks. She needed sleep but never got it because of Akuma's or homework. 

 

When Marinette arrived at school, she slumped in her chair next to Alya, who looked at her best friend in worry. "Marinette, are you alright." she asked. The bags under her eyes were enormous and she looked very pale. 

"I'm fine." Marinette whispered. "I just need some sleep and then I'll be okay." Marinette gave Alya a tired smile, but she didn't buy it. 

"Right..." she said skeptical. "Except you have been saying the same thing for weeks now. What is going on? You're always late and tired. What aren't you telling me?" She was interrupted by their teacher. "Okay, turn to page 394. We will be discussing fairy tales with werewolves today."

Adrien, who had heard the entire conversation, turned to look at his exhausted princess. He had noticed that Marinette and Ladybug had both been exhausted these last few weeks, even though his Lady would never admit it. Adrien had tried to convince her to leave the patrols to him, but she wouldn't budge. 

 _"How else would I get to know you, Chaton?"_ She had said all those times with a smile. To be honest, that would always shut him up. Maybe he was warming up to her, but that still didn't stop him from worrying. He had also visited Marinette for the same reasons, but she would tell him exactly the same as she just told Alya. Chat had even visited one night, and seen Marinette asleep on her homework. He had picked her up and laid her in bed, then he had disappeared again. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car crashing outside. The class moved as one to the windows, and they saw a woman in a purple suit with stars on them and some sort of staff. 

"Pollution is over! People will take responsibility for their actions!" she screamed. 

Marinette snuck out of the classroom without anyone noticing, they were too busy looking at the street. She found an empty closet. "Tikki, transform me!"

 

"Hey, Star Baby, what's got your mood in a twist?" Chat yelled as Ladybug landed next to him. He turned his head towards her, grinning, when he saw her stumble out of exhaustion. "Are you sure you're okay, M'Lady?" he whispered. 

"I'm fine, Chaton. Thanks." she smiled. "Let's just see what we can do about this one." she jerked her head towards the Akuma. 

Three hits, one furies Hawk Moth, one broken plastic bottle and a purified akuma later, Chat was already standing ready with his fist in the air. 

"Pound-" he starts, but than sees Ladybug stumbling in her place again. "-it?" The heroin falls to the ground. 

"LADYBUG!" he yells. He hears a few other people scream as the hero hits the ground. Chat Noir scoops her up and escapes the curious glances of the world by jumping over the roofs of Paris. When he thinks that no one could see him, he puts her down on the roof. 

He didn't even notice it until it was too late. He had been so focused on getting Ladybug out of there and trying to wake her up, he hadn't notice that her transformation was about to wear off. He had to do something, Ladybug didn't want him to know! He respected that, so what was he-

With a final beep, a pink light formed at his Lady's feet. Adrien sucked in his breath, as he saw his partner turn into the girl who sat behind her in every class. 

His friend.

His princess.

_Marinette._

Adrien's breath hitched as he felt his throat closing up with panic. Marinette was Ladybug! How could this be? What had-

"CHAT!" a scream jolted him back to reality. In front of him was, what he presumed, a red kwami.  Ladybug's kwami. _Marinette's kwami._

"You have to help her!" she told him. He noticed the tears in her blue eyes. 

Adrien scooped Marinette up again and his heart was pumping so fast he thought it was going to explode. He jumped across the Parisian roofs to the hospital, but stopped in an ally and transformed back to Adrien. People would start asking questions if he was first sighted carrying Ladybug away, and then Marinette. 

"Help! Help me! Please!" he yelled. Nurses and doctors came to his aid with a stretcher. 

"Can you tell me what happened?" a male nurse asked him. 

"I found Marinette not far from here. She was already passed out, I don't know what happened." He told the nurse. "But she has been exhausted for weeks now. Maybe that has something to do with it?" he said.

The nurse nodded. "Everything helps. You said her name is Marinette. Do you know her?" 

"Yeah." Adrien said. "She's my friend." realization struck. 

Marinette was Ladybug.

Ladybug was Marinette. 

"Do you know how we can contact her parents?"

\------

Adrien sat next to Marinette's bed with his head in his hands. The doctors had explained it was exhaustion. A lot of people collapsed of exhaustion, it wasn't a strange occurrence, but they admitted that they had never seen in such an extreme case. The doctors found it extraordinary that Marinette had still functioned for this long. 

Adrien now knew why she had been this tired. He could slap himself for not realizing it. 

"Hey, kid. Don't beat yourself up about this." Plagg's voice came from the place in his hair were he had nestled himself.

"He's right." Ladybug's- no, _Marinette's_ kwami said from her place where she was nestled in Marinette's neck. She had introduced herself as Tikki. 

"This was not your fault. It's mine." she finished. "I told her to get some sleep. To even skip school, but she just wouldn't budge." Tikki cried.

Adrien shook his head. "If I had noticed she was Ladybug..." he didn't finish that sentence. What if he had? Could he have stopped all of this?

Adrien was so deep in thought that he jumped up when he heard a small voice say "Adrien?"

"Marinette!" Tikki and Adrien said at the same time. She giggled at that. Plagg, who didn't want to startle the girl, stayed hidden in Adrien's hair, and although he would never admit it, Plagg was relieved she was awake again. 

"You're awake!" Adrien exclaimed. "Wait, you shouldn't be awake! You're supposed to be resting!" he frowned. 

Marinette smiled and turned red at his concern. Then, she looked at Tikki and her eyes returned to Adrien's, panic clear in them.

"Adrien! This uhh- I mean, this is a, umm. I don't..." she looked lost for words. How was she going to explain a flying kwami? And how could Tikki be so careless?

"Marinette." the tearful but happy kwami cut in. "It's fine, he already knows."

Marinette still looked confused, and tired.

"Okay, just take it easy. Lay back." Adrien said, and Marinette did, she was starting to feel dizzy. 

"How do you know?" she asked in a small voice. Adrien smiled.

"I'm sorry. I know you didn't want me to know, but I panicked. When you passed out, I just didn't know what to do. So I took you with me to a rooftop, but you de-transformed before I could do anything. I'm so sorry." he rambled. 

Marinette didn't seem to understand. "What do you mean? How did you take me with you to a rooftop? I thought I was with Chat when I passed out." she mumbled. 

Adrien gave her a nervous smile. "Yeah, you were." 

To say that the girl looked confused was an understatement. Then confusion turned into realization. 

"Chat?" she whispered cautiously. 

Adrien's grin grew wider. "Hello, M'Lady."

A strangled scream escaped Marinette's lips. Adrien jumped up from his chair and grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have sprang it on you like that." he told her sheepishly. Marinette stared him straight in the eye. 

"Well, this is unexpected." she breathed. "I don't... I don't really know what to say."

Adrien smiled at her. "Me neither." 

"Ughhhhhhh." came a whining voice from Adrien's hair. "Just tell her you love her, kid. This is getting exhausting, watching you two dance around each other." Plagg appeared. 

"Plagg!" a red Adrien exclaimed.

"Well, I kind of agree with Plagg, although I wouldn't have said it like that." Tikki rolled her eyes. "You two are in love with each other. It's quite obvious." 

"Tikki!" and equally red Marinette said. 

"Come on Plagg. Let's leave these two to figure this out." She smiled and flew off into the ventilation with her other half. 

"Plagg..." Adrien chuckled nervously as his eyes found Marinette's again. "He's really one of a kind." 

Marinette smiled. "Yeah, Tikki too." 

"Is it true?" Adrien asked.

"Is what?" 

"That you love me?"

Marinette turned bright red. "I... I guess." she gave him a nervous smile.

Adrien didn't know when he had made the decision. Maybe one of the many nights on the balcony as Chat. Maybe when Ladybug had turned into Marinette. Maybe when he had been waiting for her to wake up, but he knew he loved her too. 

Adrien cupped Marinette's cheeks and leaned down to kiss her. It didn't last long, because suddenly, they heard footsteps outside their door. Adrien pulled away when the door opened, revealing Marinette's parent's and Alya and Nino. 

"Marinette!" they screamed as one. 

Marinette's parents rushed to Marinette's bed. Adrien saw Sabine Cheng burst into tears. He stepped away, and was greeted by a hug from Alya and Nino. 

"Maman, papa, I'm fine." Marinette finally found her voice, but didn't take her eyes off of Adrien. 

"I called them while you were still asleep." he explained. He gave her a little smile. 

"I told you to go to sleep! Why didn't you do it? And how can you be so tired?" Alya looked close to tears. 

Marinette finally looked away from Adrien and opened her mouth to answer, when Tom interrupted her. "And no lies please."

Marinette bit her lip and turned to Adrien. He looked uncertain. Adrien knew she couldn't do this anymore. It had become too much to keep this secret. 

"I'll stand with whatever you choose." he said with a smile. This commented seemed to confuse Nino, Alya, Sabine and Tom, but it brought a huge smile on Marinette's face. She turned to her parents and friends. Her family. Because that's what they were. She would give her life for them, again and again. 

"I have to tell you something. I've been holding a secret from you." Marinette said. How was she going to explain this? 

"Mari, what is it? You can tell us anything." Alya nervously said. The rest of them nodded. Tom had his arm around Sabine and Nino did the same with Alya. Adrien moved towards Marinette, who sat up, and grabbed her hand. 

"Tikki?" she called. The red kwami, who had been listening in, appeared next to Marinette. 

The reaction were actually quite funny, Adrien thought.

Tom let out a strangled scream as Sabine jumped ten feet into the air. Nino screamed "What is that?!" and also jumped away, and Alya let her mouth drop, because she knew what it was! She had never seen on beside Trixx, but she knew it was a kwami. Alya's look returned to Marinette, who looked incredibly guilty.

"You're Ladybug." she breathed. The statement hung into the air as all eyes returned to Marinette.

"Is this true?" Sabine broke the silence. 

Marinette nodded. "That's why I was always so tired. I'm sorry for telling you only now." she had tears in her eyes and Adrien gave her hand a squeeze. 

"Plagg?" he called and the second Kwami appeared. They didn't scream or jump away, but they did seem shocked. 

"And... and you're Chat Noir." Nino said. Adrien nodded.

Sabine started sobbing and pulled both the teens into a hug. Adrien was a bit surprised, but still hugged back. Tom, Alya and Nino joined the hug too. 

"Marinette, you should have told us." Tom said when they broke the hug.

"I'm afraid that's our fault." Tikki spoke for the first time. Tom, Sabine and Nino didn't understand the creature, but seeing what had just happened, they decided to just go with it.

"Yeah, we told them not to tell anyone who they were." Plagg finished.

"Sorry." Marinette whispered and Adrien nodded sheepishly. 

"No! Don't worry. We only said that because you didn't even know what it meant to be heroes. The reason we said no identities was because you were both just figuring out your _own_ identities, it might be too overwhelming to have to cover for someone else's, too! " Tikki reassured the heroes.

"Besides, it's your secret to keep. Until now, every Ladybug and Chat Noir have chosen to reveal themselves." Plagg said. 

Sabine looked like this had been too much information. 

"Okay, we will definitely be talking about this, but right now, you need to rest, Mari." Alya said. She hugged her friend again. "Go to sleep."

"I still have to wrap my head around this, but Alya is right, Dudette. Although I do think this is amazing." Nino smiled. 

"Go to sleep, Marinette, we'll talk about it tomorrow." Tom said and Sabine nodded. 

Marinette looked up to Adrien and smiled. They were going to get through this.

 

* * *

 

 

It didn't take long before Marinette could return home. The talk with her parents and friends had been heavy, they had made her and Adrien tell everything. Every little danger. Luckily, she had amazing parents. She could continue to be Ladybug, they knew how much it meant to her.

Marinette was walking towards school, feeling fresh and happy. Adrien had his arm tossed around her shoulder when they walked into the school. This caught the attention from a lot of students. 

"Girl! There you are!" Alya and Nino came running towards their friends. 

"Hey, Alya." Marinette grinned as they hugged.

"Dude, Chloe is going ballistic. She found out you two are dating." Nino grinned. "Although, the rest of the class told me to congratulate you, and say that it was about time."

Adrien rolled his eyes. 

A beeping caught their attention. Alya grabbed her phone. 

"Akuma alert." she glanced to the duo. 

Marinette shared a look with Adrien. Nino and Alya noticed this.

"Go, we'll cover for you, dudes" Nino said. The friends grinned at each other.

"But, only if you give me an interview after." Alya whispered. Marinette laughed and turned around, and together with Adrien they ran out of the school. 

"Ready, M'Lady?" Chat asked.

"Always, Chaton." Ladybug grinned. 

 

 


End file.
